The Final Act of the Disappearing Regulation: McCaskill Pulls Rabbit Out of a Hat for Missouri Small Businesses

Following sustained push by the Senator, Department of Agriculture finalizes commonsense exception on behalf of Springfield animal handler

WASHINGTON – Following a years-long fight with federal bureaucrats on behalf of Missouri small businesses, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today announced that the Department of Agriculture will provide relief to small business owners facing unnecessary regulations from a requirement that animal handlers—including magicians with a small number of rabbits—must have a federal government license and a government-approved plan for those animals.

“I’ve heard from magicians all across the country who like me, just want to do their jobs and entertain kids, but have struggled with the ridiculous amount of paperwork, surprise inspections, and required federal licenses for something as simple as a single rabbit,” said Marty Hahne, a Springfield-area magician. “After years of having to deal with all this, I’m so relieved this rule has finally been fixed—and I’m thankful for Senator McCaskill’s tireless efforts that helped get us to this point.”

“When the federal government started telling a local magician with a small number of rabbits he needed a government license and disaster plan to run his business, it’s clear commonsense had all but disappeared,” McCaskill said. “Today is a good day for Mr. Hahne and his magic rabbit Casey, as well as others like him—and even if it took years of fighting, I was happy to arm-wrestle bureaucrats until rational policy prevailed.”

The finalized rule will exempt animal handlers with eight or fewer non-dangerous animals for exhibition from needing a federal license and government-approved disaster plan.

Watch a short video from McCaskill on The Act of the Disappearing Regulation.

Last year, McCaskill asked Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for a “commonsense” exemption to the rule, highlighting the absurdity of a government requirement that a magician must have a license and federally-approved emergency plan for a rabbit that is part of a magic show. McCaskill previously urged the same action from former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

McCaskill’s letters have highlighted that the 2014 Farm Bill—which she helped pass into law after inaction from U.S. House Republicans—“[recognizes] the ridiculousness of the situation” by providing an exemption for these magicians that would no longer require them to develop and submit a comprehensive disaster plan to cover the care of a rabbit under the Animal Welfare Act.

McCaskill is a longtime advocate for eliminating waste and duplication in government—working to eliminate a redundant pesticide approvals process for Missouri’s farmers and ranchers, and passing provisions of the Federal Permitting Improvement Act, along with Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, that streamlines and speeds up the federal permitting process for the largest and most complex projects, which were laden with an uncoordinated federal review process.

Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/jobs to learn more about McCaskill’s fight to boost job opportunities for Missouri.

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